The legendary on-air voice of the Portland Trail Blazers, Bill Schonely, has died. Portland sports journalist announced Schonely’s death.

Trail Blazers broadcaster Bill Schonely dies at 93.

The man known as the Mayor of Rip City and the original voice on the Portland Trail Blazers, Bill Schonely, has passed away, his biographer Kerry Eggers announced Saturday morning. 

The Trail Blazers confirmed the news in a press release Saturday afternoon, and said his wife Dottie Schonely was by his side when he passed. A public celebration of life is planned, the team said, with details to come later.

“The Schonz was a cornerstone of the organization since Day 1. He was the ultimate Trail Blazer – the voice of the Trail Blazers,” Trail Blazers Alumni Ambassador Terry Porter said in a statement.

“He was someone that Blazers fans grew up listening to for many, many generations. His voice will be missed, his presence will be missed, but his legacy will not be forgotten. It’s intertwined with every part of this organization.”

At hire number six, Schonely was one of the organization’s very first employees. He was tasked with quickly assembling a radio network to introduce Oregon to the Trail Blazers organization.

Serving as the team’s play-by-play voice for nearly 30 years, he called over 2,500 games including the team’s championship run in 1977 and other runs in the 1990s.

Trail Blazers broadcaster Bill Schonely dies at 93.

Schonely maintained a streak of calling games throughout his 30-year run that was only interrupted in 1982-83 when he stepped away to recover from heart bypass surgery.

Schonely’s voice was at the heart of it, a wholesome, hometown welcome to gladness, standing in contrast to Brent Musberger’s slick delivery on CBS, a network that couldn’t even be bothered to broadcast the postgame celebration.

That’s the way it was done in those days. You turned on the TV to watch, but turned down the volume so you could listen to Schonely’s call on the radio.

By Rishabh

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